Page 12

Chapter Twelve

STEVIE

“W hat are you doing in here?” Nan asks, walking into the kitchen with Eve hot on her heels.

“Bode and I are making dinner tonight. Figured I’d get ready while I feed Caleb.”

Eve lifts him out of his chair and swings him around. “While your Gran is going to go win big tonight.”

“Only if Betty isn’t there,” Nan points out.

Eve rolls her eyes. “Cheater that she is. If she knows what’s good for her, she won’t show her face.”

“Now, now. Save that energy to beat everyone in bridge.”

I pop a carrot in my mouth before setting Caleb’s dinner on his tray—well out of his reach after watching Bode’s disaster.

“I have to earn my grandbaby’s college tuition.” Eve smacks a kiss on his cheek then straps him into his high chair. “Love you, baby.”

“Don’t get into too much trouble,” I call out after them.

Knowing them, they will get into a lot of it. But that’s for them to figure out and not me.

I hear another voice in the mix and butterflies take flight in my stomach.

Bode.

It’s hard to feed Caleb his peas when he becomes more interested in his dad coming home. I try to wipe the mush off his cheeks, busying myself to calm my nerves.

God. I wish this man didn’t make me feel like this. Having that heart-to-heart with him? Kissing him? Well, his temple? Not good judgment.

“There’s my favorite little guy.” Caleb’s happy shouts fill the kitchen when Bode walks in. I track the sexy man with his eyes as he plants a kiss on top of Caleb’s head. “What are you eating for dinner? Is that peas?”

“And carrots.” I chomp down on my own. “Although I think these might be better.”

Bode smiles at me and damn it. Is he doing that on purpose? He has to know what that smile does to me. It’s unfair how good it is.

“I see you took your promise about showing me how to cook seriously.”

“Well, I figured we could whip something up that will be good for you before your game tomorrow.”

“And what’s that?” Bode asks, rolling up his sleeves, taking Caleb’s dinner bowl and feeding him the rest.

“Sausage and spinach pasta. Easy enough that you should be able to get the hang of it.”

“Sounds good. How are we going to make it?”

“I’ll get it started, but you worry about Caleb.”

Bode nods. “Okay. Easy enough.”

I dump tomato sauce in my pan and let it start to simmer as I grab another pot to start the water boiling.

“What are you making?” Bode asks.

“I like homemade sauce. A little garlic, some carrots for more veggies. Onions.”

“Sounds like no kissing then.”

My cheeks flare with heat at his words. I lean my face over the pan on the stovetop so I can blame the flush on the heat.

Bode saying those words is too much. I can’t take it. Because I want to be kissing him.

Get it together, Stevie.

Shaking those thoughts from my head, I start to brush all the vegetables from the cutting board into the pan so they can cook.

“It smells good,” Bode says, coming to stand next to me.

“Thanks. It’s a go-to of mine. Easy to make and filling.”

“How’d you get into cooking?” Bode asks.

When the sauce starts bubbling, I add the sausage and cover the pan with the lid.

“It came easy to me. I felt like it was the one thing that I was good at, so why not keep doing it?”

“You know,” Bode starts, “you’re more than just good at cooking.”

“Oh yeah?”

“I mean, I still have to see that you’re good at board games.”

I laugh, stirring the pasta into the boiling water, then covering the pot and leaning back against the counter. “You sound skeptical.”

“Because no one is good at board games.”

“So you think.”

“So I know,” Bode clarifies.

I wave the straining spoon at him. “See if I help you cook anymore.”

That earns me an eye roll. “Fine. You’re good at board games.”

“Hey. I’m going to kick your ass when I find my box of games.”

Bode sits down on the barstool next to Caleb and cleans the remnants of peas and carrots from his face.

“I look forward to it.”

His brown eyes are playful. The quirk of his lips makes him look sexy as hell. Why is it everything this man does lights me up?

I wish I could suppress these feelings.

I sigh as the water starts to bubble over. At least cooking dinner will distract me.

Getting the rest of the food ready while Bode takes care of Caleb is easy.

“Here.”

I pass a hearty bowl over to Bode and give myself a heaping portion. It smells too good not to indulge. Fishing the cold bottle of wine out of the fridge, I pour myself a glass and take the seat next to Bode.

“This smells delicious.”

I stab my fork into the noodles and take a very un-ladylike bite. “Mmm. I was so ready for this.”

“Damn, this is good,” Bode says, taking another big bite.

“I’m glad you like it,” I tell him. “Are you ready for the season?”

“I think so.”

“How’s the team looking?”

Bode drops his fork into the bowl and props one leg up on the stool between us. Caleb is in his arms, playing with the toy he now has.

“Did you look up things to ask a hockey player?” A smirk plays on his mouth.

I shrug, turning my attention back to dinner. “I mean, maybe.”

“That’s really fucking cute.”

“What? I had to have something to ask you.”

“Please tell me you know it’s a puck,” Bode begs.

“Of course I do. I have seen a hockey game before. I’ve never been to one, but I would watch the occasional one with Nan.”

“Wait.” Bode leans forward, shifting Caleb onto his other leg. His little hands find Bode’s bowl and Bode pushes it out of reach without thinking. “Does that mean you knew who I was before you came here?”

“What? No. Nan would watch it at the retirement center because it was on. I think this was before she met Eve?”

“Sure.”

“If I had something to throw at you, I would.”

Bode laughs. “Well, maybe we could find some more of Caleb’s dinner if you really wanted.”

“Tempting.”

“Please don’t throw your dinner at me.”

I shake my head, looking at the man next to me. “I won’t. I like it too much to waste it on you.”

“Ouch. A knife through the heart. Guess I won’t wave to you guys on TV tomorrow.”

“Well, we’ll all be watching. Whether you wave to us or not.” I laugh.

“I always get nervous before the start of a new season. I know it’s only preseason, and we’re heading to New York, but will everything we’ve done carry over to the game? Are we going to play like shit? I want to win it all, and it’s hard to push all of that to the side when the puck drops.”

“Do you tell your teammates this?”

He shakes his head. “No. I don’t want them to think I don’t trust them or us as a team.”

“Well.” I squeeze his arm before taking my hand back. The less contact, the better. “You can talk to me about it. I’m here for you.”

“So I can tell you I’ll miss Caleb like crazy tomorrow.” He presses a kiss to the top of his head.

“I would be worried if you didn’t.”

“I’m glad I can leave him with people I trust. If I didn’t have you or Gran, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“Like I said, we’re all here for you.”

“Thanks, Stevie. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

I mean it. Even if it’s going to damn well kill me being in the same room as this man, I’ll do it. Because I like Bode.

And that’s a truth that’s hard to admit after everything I’ve been through.

But a truth, nonetheless.